TO IMMEDIATE F C O
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
GR 350
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DESKBY 200930Z
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FM HONG KONG 200856Z JUN 83
TELEGRAM NUMBER 826 OF 20 JUNE
TOP COPY
tikk
040
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 0 JUN 1983
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : NEWSWEEK ARTICLE
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
M. CM 11183
1. SOME EXCITEMENT HAS BEEN CAUSED HERE BY REUTER AND AFP REPORTS ON
AN ARTICLE IN THE LATEST (27 JUNE) INTERNATIONAL EDITION OF NEWSWEEK HEADED 'DENG'S HONG KONG DEALINE''. THE AGENCY REPORTS
HIGHLIGHT TWO POINTS:
(1) THAT DENG XIAOPING TOLD THE PRIME MINISTER IN AN 'ACRIMONIOUS'' MEETING LAST SEPTEMBER THAT ''IF BRITAIN AND CHINA DO NOT REACH AGREEMENT BY THE END OF 1984, CHINA WILL ANNOUNCE ITS OWN SOLUTION''. THE SOURCE IS GIVEN AS HU YAOBANG IN AN INTERVIEW WITH
A NEWSWEEK COLUMNIST.
(2) THAT ACCORDING TO ''RELIABLE SOURCES IN LONDON'' THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE HAS GIVEN UP ANY REAL HOPE OF RETAINING EVEN
TITULAR SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
2. THE NEWSWEEK EDITION CONTAINING THE ARTICLE IS ON SALE HERE
FROM TODAY.
3. WE HAVE TAKEN THE FOLLOWING LINE IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM
THE MEDIA:
1 'THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER AND
CHINESE LEADERS WAS DESCRIBED IN THE JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED IN PEKING ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1982. THE JOING STATEMENT SAID SPECIFICALLY
THAT THE TALKS HAD BEEN HELD IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE'' •
WE KNOW OF NO BASIS FOR THE VIEWS ATTRIBUTED IN THE REPORT TO THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, HMG'S AIM WAS AND IS TO SEEK A SOLUTION TO THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE NOT ONLY TO THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS BUT
ALSO TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
THE DIPLOMATIC TALKS ARE CONFIDENTIAL. THE GOVERNOR INDICATED THEIR PRESENT STATE IN HIS TV INTERVIEW ON 20 MAY''.
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14. A PRESS
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